1. Field of the lnvention
The present invention relates to educational games, and more particularly pertains to an educational board game for teaching children to tell time. Studies have shown that the learning capacity of young children is enhance when the subject matter is presented in the context of a game. The average attention span of young children in a formal classroom environment is limited. The technological revolution which has taken place in the field of electronics during the last decade has resulted in a large supply of low cost digital watches. These digital watches, costing as little as two dollars, has resulted in a diminution of the abilities of young children to read analog clocks. In order to solve this problem, the present invention provides a competitive educational board game for teaching young children to read analog clocks and watches.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of educational games are known in the prior art. A typical example of such an educational game is to be found in U.S. Design Pat. No. 275,405, which issued to D. Wolf on Sept. 4, 1984. This patent discloses a set of blocks which may be assembled into a configuration resembling the face of an analog clock. U.S. Pat. No. 401,043, which issued to A. Manning on Apr. 9, 1889, discloses a set of blocks or cards with the names of the days of the week, the names of the months, different parts of the day and the days of the months, printed thereon. By the constant handling and inspection of the blocks or cards, a person will become familiar with the calendar, and, though unable to write, may indicate his or her knowledge of the proper divisions of time. Deaf mutes may also use these blocks or cards conveniently for indicating divisions of time without writing the names or numbers. U.S. Pat. No. 2,539,077, which issued to B. Hawkins on Jan. 23, 1951, discloses an electrical educational device for teaching students to tell time. A housing has a clock face with pivotally mounted hands constructed of electrical conducting material which are mounted so as to be insulated from each other. A digital display is also mounted on the housing. An electrical switching network is connected between the clock face and the analog display such that the positioning of the clock hands in correlation with the time indicated on the digital display will complete an electrical circuit and activate an electrical signalling device. U.S. Pat. No. 2,647,330, which issued to S. Ford on Aug. 4, 1953, discloses an educational puzzle for teaching students to tell time. A clock face is formed of twelve different numbered segments having irregularly shaped inner edges. The individual puzzle segments encircle a center piece having clock hands pivotally mounted thereon. The individual puzzle segments are colored in various colors for the purpose of teaching the student the proper sequence of colors in the spectrum. By correctly assembling the segments of the puzzle, the students learns the correct arrangement of the numbers on an analog clock face. U.S. Pat. No. 2,789,370, which issued to J. Studebaker et al on Apr. 23, 1957, discloses an educational workbook which may be utilized to teach students to read an analog clock. The workbook is constructed from a plurality of pairs of leaves containing registering apertures. The first leaf of each pair carries questions, while the second leaf carries corresponding answers. A worksheet on which answers are written by a student is inserted between each pair of leaves. U.S. Pat. No. 4,331,427, which issued to D. Dotson on May 25, 1982, discloses an educational time teaching device. A minute dial has a plurality of coins mounted in a circle, the coins defining a minute scale based upon the value of the coins. A second, hour dial can be detachably mounted on the minute dial in aligned superposed relationship with the periphery of the minute scale. A detachable rotatable hand is usable either with the minute hand alone, or with the two superposed dials. In use, a student is first taught to read the minute hand by demonstration, then the second hour dial is mounted for teaching the student to read the hour hand of an analog clock.
While the above mentioned devices are suited for their intended usage, none of these devices harness the innate human competitive nature to assist in the learning process. Further, none of the aforesaid devices allow active concurrent participation by a group of students. Also, none of these devices utilizes a board game format which is easily understood by students, based upon their previous experience with race course type board games. Inasmuch as the art is relatively crowded with respect to these various types of educational games, it can be appreciated that there is a continuing need for and interest in improvements to such educational games, and in this respect, the present invention addresses this need and interest.